Life-preserver and pillow.



S. P. EDMONDS. LIFE PRESERVER AND PILLOW. APPLIOATION FILED 1120.7, 1912.

Patented May 13, 1913.

qvitneooe UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL rfnpmonns, or ca'ronsvILLn, MARYLAND.

LIFE-PRESEBVE-R AN D PILLOW.

To all whom it mag concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL P. EDMONDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Catonsville, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain g is a perspective view of the preserver in ex- .tended position and Fig. 5 is a front view new and useful Improvements in Life- Ireservers and Pillows, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to life-preservers which may be readily placed in position and will permit freedom of movement of the .wearer when in the water and possesses suflicient buoyancy to sustain the weightof the person when at rest.

One of the main purposes of my invention is to provide a life-preserver which will sustain the head and maintain it above the water even though the person may be in a comatose state or have lost consciousness, since it is possible to be in this state or condition for long periods and afterward be resuscitated. I therefore provide a construction which will rise under the chin of the wearer and at the same time will be soft and pliable, yielding to the pressure thereof so that it. is perfectly comfortable. I prefer to make the device in the form of a pillow so that it may be used upon the beds, cots or bunks of vessels in the place of the ordinary, pillow, although it may be adapted for a hammock-mattress, such as used by sailors, or as a bench-cushion. Y

While it has been proposed to make an inflatable bag to loop around the neck and also to form a life-pres'erver in the form of a pillow, yet insofar as I am aware, I am the first to provide a pillow-like device which is so constructed that it is maintained in osition upon the body bymeans of the necr and a single drawing strap orset of straps about the waist. The buoyancy of the filling material causes it to rise so that it automatically maintains a position against the chin, thereby holding t e head a ove the water even though the wearer becomes unconscious. This is a very important feature of my invention. Moreover the body of the mattress. is soft and pliable so that it is impossible to hurt or injure the erson by-reason of a shock-orjar when umping into the water, as in the case of stifli un ielding substances, such as cork.

In t e accompanying drawings which illustrate-an, embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a life-preserver secured a person, showing the man- Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed December 7, 1912. Serial No. 735,546.

having water-resistant propertles.

I tend only a portion portion, leaving a space between each end of 'ed e of the coverso nor in which the head of the wearer-will be supported above water; Fig. 2, is a sidev elevation of the life-preserver when usedas a pillow; Fig. 3, is a plan view of the same when extended longitudinally ;--and Fig. 4,

Patented May 13, 1913.

showing the life-preserver in position upon a person.

The pillow life-preserver is formed of a fabric cover or casing 1 which may be the usual bed-ticking, or it may be treated to form a water-proof envelop, and is filled with a buoyant resilient material, prefera lbllly buoyancy of this material is very great so that a person wearing one of these lifepreservers may even support an additional iglht, as by carrying a child. 1

T e opposite halves of thebody portion are preferably alike so that it is. immaterial whether the parts be folded in OhBJdiI'GCtlOII or the other. In fact it is desirable to reduring its reguverse the parts-occasionally 2, I have shown lar use as a pillow. In Fi the pillow in its usual fo ded incased in .an ordinary pillow- 1p or case 3. By reason of the soft fiufiy nature of the silk floss, this, construction provides an exceedingly'comfortable pillow.

One of the important features of my 1nvention resides in the construction which causes the portion at the fold to snugly hug the neck and to permit the body-portion to rise up under the neck and yet be absolutely secure from danger of coming over thehead of the wearer w ether young or old. I accomplishthis by forming a narrow elongated 1 of the part- 6, which" slot to ex:

slot 5, transversel forms the fold an causlng the of the width of the body the slot and the side or that the filler may exten from one bag-portion to the other. in position on the wearer, the filling extendentirely across W hen osition and I mg across the sides of the fold, bears snugly against enhances the comfort but ass1sts.1n taining the head above; the water.

mam-

It will the sides of the neck and not'only be observed that my life-preserve! forms a protective ad both front and back over all of ing off the chill of the cold water, andalso protects the neck and spine above the water and from the force of the waves.

the vita parts of the body, thereby ward- 'Thisis of great practical value, as will nized by physicians and others.

When the preserver is slipped. over the head, the slot 5, is spread open and the head will instinctively be turned somewhat to one side in the direction of the length of the slot. One end of each side. strap 7 is then pulled until it is tightened and fastened in the buckles 8. In order that there cannot be a mistake in pulling on the preserver and further that the person may not require the assistance of another, even though nervous and excited, as is liable to be the case in time of an accident, I have made both sides alike and have so arranged the straps and buckles that they will be tightened by pulling upon either end of the straps. This he recogmay be accomplished by providing buckles upon both sides of the preserver and passing the opposite ends of the strap through the opposite buckles, the ends being prevented from slipping out of the buckles by stops or bars 10 secured to the ends of-the strap. Both ends of the strap are provided with a series of holes so that either end may be adjustably fastened in the adjacent buckle or other fastening device. 1

i I avoid using any straps upon the upper part of the body under the arms, in order that the body of the preserver may befree to rise and as soon as it reaches the water its buoyancy will automatically cause it to 1 rise and work upwardly until it bears against the chin and head. This is an im-' portant feature of my invention as upon this ,depends the power to hold the head well out of the water when the party may have become comatose or unconscious, which so frequently happens after floating for a number of hours. When the preserver thus rises about the neck and throat, it will be prevented from slipping over the head by reason of the construction of the narrow slot running transversely of the body portion. When the head drops forward as shown inv Figs. 1 and 5, the chin is slightly embedded in the soft yielding body portion and is thereby supported. The buoyancy of the preserver maintains the person from becommg prone or falling below the level of the water as is 1. A life-preserver comprising a fabric casing 01" envelop having similar substantially rectangular pillow-like compartments connected by an intermediate shoulder portion having a narrow transverse slot to receive the head of a wearer, a buoyant resilient non-absorbent material filling said compartments, fastening means connectingintermediate parts of said compartments adjacent the waist-line, which upon being submerged permits the. entire buoyant body to rise and concentrate the sustaining force thereof about the head and shoulders of the wearer, the portion adjacent the slot engaging the head and the casing being held upon the wearer-solely by the engagement about the neck and said intermediate fastening means.

2. A life-preserver comprising .a fabric casing formmg a substantially rectangular closed bag, said bag bein normally folded upon itself and provide with a narrow transverse slot or opening in the fold, a buoyant resilient material filling the bag, and, adjustable fastening devices connected to opposite intermediate parts of the folded bag, the bag being held upon" the wearer solely by the engagement about the neck and said intermediate fastening device, whereby upon being submerged the entire buoyant body is ralsed and the sustaining force thereof is concentrated about the head and shoulders of the wearer, the portion adjacent the slot en agin the head.

In testimony W ereo I afiix my signature 4 in presence of two witnesses;

SAMUEL P. EDMONDS.

Witnesses:

EUGENE C. BRowN, M. E. ELwoon. 

